The Present application relates generally to a connector that can connect to a flat electrical wire. More specifically, the Present application relates to technology for improving the contact stability between a terminal and the conductor of a flat electrical wire.
In a conventional connector, an actuator that locks an inserted flat electrical wire to the connector is located in the front portion of the connector. In the connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-093504, each terminal has three beams extending forward (namely, an upper beam, a lower beam and a center beam located between the upper beam and lower beam). A cam formed in an actuator is located between the upper beam and center beam, and can rotate between the location where the center beam is pressed downward and the location where the pressure on the center beam is terminated. A pressing portion that projects downward is formed on the lower surface of the center beam. When the center beam is pushed down via the cam, the pressing portion of the center beam pushes the flat electrical wire against the lower beam. As a result, there is an electrical connection between the terminal and the flat electrical wire.
In the connector disclosed in the '504 Application, the cam of the actuator pushes the center beam downward at a separate position backward from the pressing portion of said center beam. According to this structure, the center beam is pushed down via the cam, and after the pressing portion contacts the flat electrical wire, a moment is generated around the pressing portion by the effort force of the cam on the center beam. As a result, the center beam is elastically deformed so that the center beam is distended downward with the pressing portion as the fulcrum. This improves the contact stability between the terminal and the flat electrical wire.
In order to increase the amount of elastic deformation of the center beam with the pressing portion as the fulcrum and improve the contact stability between the terminal and the flat electrical wire, there is a need for an increase in the distance between the pressing portion of the center beam and the location on the center beam where the cam presses. However, when selecting the position of the cam, it is also necessary to consider the position of the other members, so it is sometimes difficult to locate the cam in a position greatly separated backward from the position of the pressing portion.